Yarn piecing apparatus registration means

ABSTRACT

A registration means is disclosed for the alignment of a piecing apparatus with yarn processing stations of a textile machine requiring yarn repair, comprising control cam means which controls the registration engagement of the piecing apparatus with the textile machine by the registration means through provision of a counterbias or holding function, a registration camming means for bringing the apparatus into registration with stations requiring yarn repair and maintaining it there by engagement with the machine in a camming action, and resilient biasing and joining means for joining the control means to the camming means and providing a bias to the camming means for its resilient engagement with the textile machine. Such engagement may be made with camming notches or slots in a guide rail of the machine in register with the stations, or any other suitable way such as with camming projections from the machine. In one embodiment, the camming means may be a cam follower lever arm with a roller for engagement with the machine, and in another a plunger rod for entry into registration slots in the machine, such as in a guide rail.

United States Patent Merclt [54] YARN PIECING APPARATUS REGISTRATION MEANS 3,486,319 12/1969 Leeetal. ..57/56X Primary Examiner-Donald E. Watkins A1t0rneyDonald H. Feldman [15] 3,656,289 1451 Apr, id, M72

[57] ABSTRACT A registration means is disclosed for the alignment of a piecing apparatus with yarn processing stations of a textile machine requiring yarn repair, comprising control cam means which controls the registration engagement of the piecing apparatus with the textile machine by the registration means through provision of a counterbias or holding function, a registration camming means for bringing the apparatus into registration with stations requiring yarn repair and maintaining it there by engagement with the machine in a camming action, and resilient biasing and joining means for joining the control means to the camming means and providing a bias to the camming means for its resilient engagement with the textile machine. Such engagement may be made with camming notches or slots in a guide rail of the machine in register with the stations, or any other suitable way such as with camming projections from the machine. In one embodiment, the camming means may be a cam follower lever arm with a roller for engagement with the machine, and in another a plunger rod for entry into registration slots in the machine, such as in a guide rail.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures (iii PATENTEDAPR 18 I972 SHEET 1 (IF 4 wgssv w JNVEN TOR JAMES K MERCK @ma Z5244.

HIS AGENT PATENTEDAPR 18 1972 SW2W4 HIS AGENT PATENTEUAPR 18 I972 3; 658.289

sum 3 0F 4 I m VENTOR JAMES K.. ME RCK [QMMM HIS AGENIT PATENTEDAPR 18 m2 SHEET U UF 4 ,[NVENTOR JAMES K. MERCK HIS AGENT YA PECING APPARATUS REGISTRATION MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The art has disclosed various types of apparatus for the rejoining, replacement or otherwise piecing of broken yarns on textile machines such as spinning frames. Among these are automatic yam-piecing devices on a mobile carriage which moves along the textile machine on a guide track longitudinal thereof either on a continuous patrolling" basis or as required on a programmed or a demand basis to a yamprocessing station thereof at which an ends-down condition is detected. The carriage is stopped at such station while servicing mechanisms of the piecing device mounted thereon repair the yarn discontinuity in any of several possible ways, and

thereafter resumes its movement.

In order that the yarn-repair operations be successful, a precise alignment of the carriage is necessary. Usually the yarn processing station comprises a yarn delivery station from which yarn issues and a yarn take-up station at which the issued yam is collected as a package. On some textile machines, the yarn delivery and take-up stations are in line with one another thus requiring a single positioning of the carriage adjacent thereto to carry out the yarn repair activities; in yet others the two stations are not in line, but are somewhat offset longitudinally on the frame, thus requiring two sequential alignments of the carriage in order that all of the servicing functions of the device may be successfully carried out in repairing the yarn; In attaining proper alignment, difficulties are often encountered due to the high inertia which must be overcome in stopping and positioning the carriage and its servicing mechanisms. This problem was recognized by Bell at al. in their U. S. Pat. No. 3,403,866, wherein they scan for ends down, and upon detecting such bring the carriage to a halt adjacent the appropriate yarn servicing station through a gradual slowing of its forward movement and then reversing such movement to back into such adjacent position. To effect this, they employ a carriage braking and registering mechanism comprising a guide rail running longitudinal the spinning frame having registration notches cut into the top edge of the rail and a flange projecting outwardly therefrom, a position registration switch mounted on the carriage having an outwardly projecting biased roller to cooperate with the guide rail and the notches, the notches being correlated with the frames servicing stations and the roller running along and in contact with the outward surface of the projecting flange of the frame guide rail. In operation, when an ends down condition is detected, the biased roller at its next cooperating notch which corresponds or is correlated with the servicing station at which piecing is required, upon dropping into the notch closes the registration switch which reverses the driving motor to slow the carriage to a stop and reverse its direction so as to back the carriage into alignment with said servicing position. The problem of when and how to stop the backward movement is solved by employing a registration lock" mechanism. It comprises a downwardly depending tapered pin normally positioned on the carriage above the guide rail notched flange, by means of a horizontally extending lever arm pivotally connected at its midpoint to the armature of a normally deactivated solenoid. In operation, when the registration switch is closed, the solenoid is activated resulting in a slow downward movement of the depending pin in a timedelay action. In the interim, the carriage has stopped its forward movement and begun its rearward movement in backing into registration with the yarn servicing station; by judicious spacing of the notches, at the time registration is attained, the pin will also be in register with a flange notch to enter it and lock the carriage in proper alignment for yarn repair, the driving air motor then still running but being stalled during piecing activities. In approaching the registration notch, the pin has been forced down against the upper surface of the rail flange and drags therealong until it reaches, drops into and is wedged by the ap propriate next notch, i.e. the appropriate registration notch for in line registration of carriage with servicing station. From the foregoing, it is clear that several substantial problems exist with respect to such prior art registration of carriage with yarn servicing station.

For repeated piecings, durability of the mechanisms used in carriage alignment is an absolute necessity. Normal wear of parts must be such that it has little effect on the accuracy of carriage alignment. Such parts and their arrangement must also be able to endure the prolonged exposure to the normal heavy vibrations of currently used high speed textile processing machinery and to the activities of patrol, stopping, alignment and realignment without breakdown requiring machine down-time for repair. Thus, the alignment mechanism and its associated parts must be rugged and not delicate, and yet provide consistent accuracy in performing precise alignments. Experience has shown that if the align ment mechanism provides, whether through wear or otherwise, a misalignment of the piecing apparatus off-set from proper registration by as little as one sixty-fourth of an inch piecing may be prevented; such is the consistent precision required.

The aforesaid prior art mechanism is plagued with design features which largely forbid its long termed use without breakdown. Foremost of these is the use of a registration switch in constant running contact with the guide rail flange and its notches. By its nature such a switch is delicate and highly susceptible to damage through constant use, and to rapid wear due to its incessant jouncing contact with the rail flange, into and out of notches. If it fails, the registration mechanism and piecing apparatus fail. Further, there is a fundamental defect in the registration lock mechanism; upon repeated piecings, the lock pin, which is repeatedly wedged into the guide rail flange notches, by this action will wear along the side engaging the flange notch by the attendant abrasion or rubbing thereagainst as forced downward by the solenoid and also against the notch sides by the driving motor. In time, this wear will bring both the pin and notches and thus the carriage out of proper registration by an amount which will frustrate piecing. Further, the rather intricate interactions required by the large number of cooperating; mechanical and electromechanical elements of the prior art registration mechanism to provide the precise alignments demanded for successful carriage positioning on a vibrating textile machine defies long-termed, trouble-free operation, the malfunctioning or misalignment of any element or of any cooperative interaction rendering the piecing apparatus inoperative for its intended purpose.

Thus, it is to the remedy of these substantial problems of the prior art, and to the provision of other desirable advantages that the present invention is directed.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a piecing apparatus carriage registration means for precise alignment with a yarn processing station of a textile machine requiring servicing thereat which is durable and of simple construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide an aforesaid registration means which maintains precise alignments despite wear occasioned by long-termed andlor continuous usage and despite heavy textile machine vibration.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide embodiments which will precisely align the carriage at each of a plurality of yarn processing stations off-set longitudinal one another in the processing of a single strand of yarn.

Yet other desirable objects of this invention will readily become apparent from and/or are inherent in the explanations which follow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now been found that the objects of the invention may be attained by the provision of a piecing apparatus registration means comprising a control cam means for controlling the registration activities of the registration means which imparts a plurality of discrete counterbiases or holdings against the bias of the below described resilient biasing and joining means, registration camming means for cooperation with registration camming surfaces on the textile machine which are correlated with yarn processing stations thereof at which ends down conditions may occur to bring the piecing apparatus carriage into registration with such stations for yarn piecing activities thereat, and for bringing the piecing apparatus into such registration and resiliently and positively maintaining it in such registration during yarn repair activities, and resilient biasing and joining means for joining said control cam means with said registration camming means for control of the latter thereby and for biasing said registration camming means against the counterbias of said control cam means for resiliently biasing said camming means into registration with an appropriate station requiring servicing and for maintaining it in registration during yarn repair activities, and further for biasing said camming means out of contact with the textile machine when yarn repair is completed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A fuller understanding of the various advantages and features of the present invention may be had through the following explanation of embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view, with parts broken away, of a spinning frame textile machine with an ends down condition to be serviced by an automatic yarn piecing apparatus in the process of being aligned adjacent thereto by the present means for yarn repair thereby;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the longitudinal relationship of a plurality of corresponding yarn servicing stations, some off-set and others in-line with one another, with the camming surfaces in a guide rail of the textile machine with which the present registration means cooperates according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view with some parts broken away, illustrating an embodiment of the present registration means in a deactivated condition out of cooperation with the guide rail camming surfaces;

FIG. 4 in view similar to that of FIG. 3 illustrates a first alignment position of the present registration means in an embodiment wherein two alignments are required to provide yarn repair due to a longitudinal off-set of yarn processing stations for processing a single yarn strand;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, and shows the registration means aligning in a second position needed to complete yarn repair;

FIG. 6 is a fragmetary perspective view with parts broken away, illustrating another embodiment of the present registration means of yet simpler construction for a two position alignment of the piecing apparatus, with said means in a deactivated condition out of cooperation with the guide rail camming surfaces;

FIG. 7, also in fragmetary perspective view with parts broken away, illustrates yet another embodiment of the present registration means, in aligning engagement with a registration slot and having camming surfaces according to the invention, this embodiment being suitable for a single registration of the carriage; and

FIG. 8, a fragmentary plan view partially in section and taken approximately along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7, shows in greater detail the registration rod of the registration camming means of FIG. 7 in engagement with camming surfaces of the registration slot in the guide rail.

EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 5, a textile machine spinning frame, generally designated 10, having a plurality of paired yarn processing stations AB and CD and E,F for processing a plurality of strands of yarn ABY and CDT, wherein said paired processing stations A,B and CD and E,F each respectively comprises a yarn delivery station A and C and E and a corresponding yam take-up station B and D and F for processing single strands of yarn therein and therebetween, has at some paired processing stations, e.g. C,D, an in-line or otherwise correlated registration between the yarn delivery station C and its corresponding yarn take-up station D, as is best seen in FIG. 2; at yet other paired processing stations, yarn delivery stations may be off-set to the right or left longitudinal the frame from their corresponding yarn take-up stations, e.g. station B is off-set to the right and station F to the left of their corresponding delivery stations A and E, the thread-lines of corresponding yarns being processed therebetween being skewed. It is readily understood that certain textile machines may have all paired yam delivery and take-up stations in-line with one another, exclusively of the CD type; some may have all paired stations skewed in one direction and thus be exclusively of either the AB or the E,F type; and other textile machines may have some paired stations skewed in one direction, yet other paired stations skewed in the other direction and some paired stations in-line with one another on a single machine, such as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In those machines having corresponding delivery and take-up stations skewed relative to one another, the amount of such off-set from one pair of stations to the next pair longitudinal the machine, may be the same or may vary depending upon the particular machine.

During processing, occasionally a strand of yarn will part between corresponding delivery and take-up stations to create an ends down condition, such as is illustrated in FIG. I between paired stations E and F, with parted yarn ends EY and FY requiring repair. The yarn piecing apparatus, designated 20, on a mobile carriage CA bears as components an ends down detector DM for identifying processing stations requiring servicing, the servicing mechanisms SM-l for locating and grasping yarn end FY at station F, the servicing mechanisms SM-2 for elevating yarn end FY and joining it to yarn end EY at station E to complete yarn repair thereat, and a piecing apparatus registration means, generally designated RM for bringing apparatus into registration with stations F and E as required and maintaining it in registration during piecing operations of mechanisms SM-l and SM-2, and for disengaging the piecing apparatus 20 from its registration positions adjacent frame 10 after yarn repair has been accomplished. Apparatus 20 may also include some moving means for imparting movement of apparatus 20 longitudinal frame 10 and adjacent stations A,B, CD and E,F in patrol activities such as by wheels W of apparatus 20 being propelled thereby on a guide rail GR of frame 10, and for moving the components of the servicing mechanisms SM-] and SM-2 in their piecing activities and also for moving the control cam means, designated by its various components hereinbelow, to effect alignment registration of carriage CA and servicing mechanisms SM-l and SM-2 with appropriate paired yarn processing stations having an ends down condition.

In operation, upon detection of an ends down condition at stations E,F by detection means DM. patrolling carriage CA is brought to a stop past E,F and slowly reversed so as to back into registration alignment with such stations, by the aforesaid moving means. While the moving means does not form a part of the present invention, for purposes of understanding such a means may comprise an electric motor as the driving element, and various switches, shafts, gears and clutches for actuating and deactivating patrol and reverse movements of the carriage, the movements of the various components of the yarn repair servicing mechanisms and of the present registration means RM. In general, registration means RM in operation is activated upon reversing the movement of carriage CA toward appropriate positions of registration alignment with stations Turning to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5, means RM is mounted upon a plate 22 within carriage CA. Therein, a U-shaped bracket 24 rotation therewith. Other joining components thereof include a pin 30 at the upwardly extending end of arm 2% to which is joined a pivotable link 32 for swingable movement thereabout, which in turn connects to a cam follower arm 34L through a pin 36 intermediate the ends of arm 34-. At its free end, follower arm 34 bears a roller for abutting engagement with the control cam means of the invention, and at its other end is supported for rotation on a stub shaft 38 rigidly fixed to plate 22 by a mounting block 40. Turning now to the biasing element of the biasing and joining means, shaft 26 bears thereabout a torsion spring 48 being fixed at one end to shaft 26 and at its other end to one of the upstanding support arms of bracket 24 so as to impart to shaft 26 a bias in the direction of the arrow thereon. The control cam counterbiasing means comprises a cam 44 mounted on and for rotation with a support shaft 46, which cam M is spaced from and unabuttable with machine 10, and which shaft 46 may be connected below plate 22 (not shown) to the moving means for cam rotation in the direction of the arrow thereon. Carn 44 has a camming surface thereabout having a plurality of dwell radial distances from shaft 66 so as to provide a plurality of surface portions, each dwell distance thereof providing a discrete counterbias or holding against the bias of spring ah, when such corresponding surface portion is in abutment with roller 22. The registration camming means in this embodiment comprises a registration cam follower lever arm 50 connected to the out wardly directed end of shaft 26 for rotation therewith, and bears at its free end a camming roller 52 extending outwardly therefrom and positioned in vertical alignment under the depending end of rail GR.

In operation, turning to FIG. 3, carriage CA is in reverse movement toward stations E,F as indicated by the arrows on wheels W. Cam 44, presenting a high dwell radial distance surface abutment portion toroller 42 and thus a maximum counterbias or holding against the bias of torsion spring 48, retains camming roller 52 out of contact with the bottom of rail GR.

Upon rotation of cam 44, reduced dwell distances are provided thus reducing the degree of counterbias, forcing roller 52 toward and into engagement with the bottom of rail GR (not shown); thereupon roller 52 contacts the lower edge of rail GR and rolls therealong. Turning now to FIG. 4, upon reaching a registration slot cut into the bottom of rail GR, said slot being correlated with station F along the first portion thereof defined by camming surfaces 54 and with station E along the second portion thereof defined by camming surfaces 56, registration cam follower roller 52 is moved up into the slot along camming surfaces 541 under the bias of spring 48 and held in the first portion of the slot under the counterbias provided by the dwell abutment of cam 44, the rotation of which is stopped at such dwell such as by a declutching of shaft 46 from the moving means and stopping the movement of carriage CA by its declutching of wheels W from the moving means, and also initiation of piecing activities of servicing mechanisms SM-I by actuating clutching with the moving means. Upon completion of activities by servicing mechanisms SM-l, rotation of cam 44 is continued presenting a yet lower dwell abutment to roller 42, as in FIG. 5, and thus a yet smaller counterbias against the bias of torsion spring 48, forcing lever arm 50 upward, and roller 56 cammed by surfaces 56 of the slot to the highest point therein, which is in correlated registrationwith station E. In so doing, carriage CA is forced to the right as shown by the arrow on wheel W. At this time actuation of servicing mechanisms SM-2 occurs so as to complete yarn repair. Upon such completion, cam which had been stopped in its rotation during such interval, continues its rotation, now presenting a higher and yet higher dwell abutment to roller 42 and thus a greater and yet greater counterbias to the bias of spring d8, forcing lever arm downward and out of slot registration and contact with rail GR. Upon attaining a potion of highest dwell abutment, earn M ceases its rotation, say be disengagement with the moving riage CA resumes its patrol movement scanning for yet other ends down conditions.

Yet another embodiment of the: present registration means useful for a two position alignment. of apparatus 20 is shown in FIG. 6. Therein, mounting plate 60 within carriage CA has rigidly fixed thereto a plurality of in-line brackets 62 journally supporting for rotation a central shaft 64 of the biasing and joining means of the invention. Fixed to shaft 6d intermediate brackets 62, an upstanding cam follower arm 66 bears at its free end a spool roller 68 mounted. thereon for rotation. Intermediate the ends of arm 66, one end of an extension spring 70 is fixed, the other end thereof being fixed to a wall 72 of carriage CA, so as to impart a bias to shaft 64 for rotation in the direction of the arrow. With respect to the control cam means, a cam 74 is fixed at one end of and for rotation with a shaft 76, which cam 74 is spaced from and unabuttable with machine 10 and which below plate shaft 76 60 may be connected to the moving means of apparatus 20 such as by suitable clutchings. Cam 74 has its dwell camming surfaces spaced from for abutment with spool roller 68 under the bias of extension spring 70 so as to provide counterbias to said springs action which is controlled by the degree of dwell of the portion of the cam surface in abutment. Attached to the outwardly extending end of shaft 64 for rotation therewith, :is a lever arm 7% of the registration camming means which bears at its free end a roller 80 for engagement with the lower end of guide rail GR and notches therein. The operation of this embodiment is identical to that of the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 5. It is to be understood that these embodiments may be changed by a simple rearrangement of parts so that the registration camming means may engage slots in the top of guide rail GR by a downward movement, or engage camming projections on the textile machine rather than slots, and so forth.

In those instances when but a single positioning of the piecing apparatus is required to accomplish its yarn repair task, such as where the textile machine has all in-line paired yarn processing stations of the CD type shown in FIGS. I to 6, an embodiment such as that in FIG. 7 may be employed. Therein, on a mounting plate 102 within the piecing apparatus carriage, a support block 104 is rigidly fixed. and joumally supports for translatory passage or movement therethrough an outwardly extending plunger rod 106 of the registration camming means of the invention. At the inward end of rod I06, and pivotably connected thereto is the lower arm 110 of an upstanding bracket 108 which, in turn, is supported for rotative move- I ment by a stub shaft 109 rigidly fixed to mounting plate I02.

means through declutching (not shown). Upon such occur- I rence, wheels W are reengaged to the moving means and car- Another projecting arm 112 of bracket I08 bears at its free end a roller 114 for abutting engagement with the present cam control means. Intermediate lower arm an extension spring has one end fixed thereto and the other end fixed to a front wall 122 of the piecing apparatus carriage so as to provide a bias to bracket 108 for rotation in the direction of the arrow thereon. Shown in abutment with roller I16, a cam 116 of the cam control means is fixed to the upper end of a shaft I18 for rotation therewith in the direction of the arrow; shaft I18 may be connected through clutching to the moving means of the piecing apparatus below plate I02 for rotation thereby, the engagement and disengagement thereof being controlled by a switch designated in contact with lower arm 1110. Cam 116 imparts a counterbias or holding to the rotation of bracket 108 and thus to the translatory movement of plunger rod W6 against the rotatory bias imparted by extension spring I20, such counterbias being controlled by the degree of dwell of the cam surface portion in abutment with roller 1M. In operation, during patrol of the piecing apparatus, it moves along guide rail GR fixed to the textile machine on wheels W. At this time, cam 116 presents its highest dwell abutment portion to roller 114, providing a maximum counterbias to the action of spring 120 and thus maintaining plunger rod M6 in a withdrawn position out of contact with guide rail GR. Once an ends down condition is detected, and the piecing apparatus is reversed to back into registration position adjacent processing stations C,D cam 116 is rotated to bring a lower dwell porfaces of rail GR, itsslot and rod 106, the latter is provided with an engagement end of special shape, which shape also assures consistently precise registration despite machine vibration or wear. Turning to FIG. 8, the front or forward end of rod 106, designated 132, is flat so that when it contacts rail GR prior to entering the registration slot wear on both is minimized. Extending inwardly from end 132, one side of rod 106 is tapered to provide a camming surface 126 and the other opposing side of rod 106 is stepped and flat providing a registration aligning surface 124 so that upon entrance to the registration slot, camming surface 126 pressing against the slot side 128 cams rod side 124 into linear abutment with its opposing slot side for precise registration.

INVENTION FEATURES Several unique yet simple features of the present invention permit attainment of the aforesaid desired objects. They include a resilient biasing and maintenance of registration engagement of the apparatus with the machine despite machine vibration or wear of the registration engaging positions of the machine and the components of the registration means for repeatedly precise alignments. The construction embodiments are simple with few parts and of rugged nature which defy malfunction. The registration means may have constructions suitable for multi-positional alignments of the piecing apparatus and thus represents a substantial advance of the art over what was known. Further, the interactions of the components of the present registration means are wholely mechanical assuring simplicity of operation and long-termed functioning without down-time or malfunction.

Thus from the aforesaid constructions and principles disclosed, yet other embodiments of the present registration means and its component control cam means, biasing and joining means and registration camming means will readily occur to one knowledgeable in the art which fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, one may use an air cylinder properly mounted to provide the necessary resilient bias herein in place of a spring, this also falling within the functional prescription of the present resilient biasing and joining means.

That which is claimed is:

1. A registration means borne by a mobile carriage of an automatic yarn piecing apparatus, for bringing and maintaining said apparatus in registration alignment with stations of a textile machine for yarn repair thereat, said means comprising control cam means, spaced from and unabuttable with said machine, for controlling the aligning engagement and disengagement of said apparatus with said machine,

registration camming means for camming said apparatus into registration alignment with said stations, and

resilient biasing-and joining means, operatively associated with and for resiliently biasing said registration camming means to cam said apparatus into registration alignment with said stations and operatively associated with and for joining said control cam means to said registration camming means to effect control of the latter by the former.

2. A registration means as in claim 1, wherein said resilient biasing and joining means includes a cam follower, a spring and a rotatable element joining said cam follower and spring.

3. A registration means as in claim 2, wherein said control cam means provides a counterbias to said registration camming means against the bias of said spring.

4. A registration means as in claim 3, wherein control cam means provides said counterbias by abutment of a cam surface thereof against said cam follower of the resilient biasing and joining means.

5. A registration means as in claim 4, wherein the degree of counterbias provided is dictated by the radial distance of the portion of said cam surface in abutment.

6. A registration means as in claim 5, wherein said cam surface has a plurality of portions with different radial distances to provide a plurality of counterbiases, whereby at least one of said counterbiases is effective to control the disengagement of said apparatus with said machine.

7. A registration means as in claim 6, wherein at least one of said cam surface portions has a radial distance effective to control the camming of said registration camming means in the aligning engagement of said apparatus with said machine.

8. A registration means as in claim 2, wherein said registration camming means comprises a cam follower lever arm having a roller element at a free end thereof for aligning engagement with said machine and being fixed at its other end to said rotatable element for rotation therewith.

9. A registration means as in claim 2, wherein said registration camming means comprises a plunger rod mounted for substantially translatory movement toward and away from said machine with a free end for engagement therewith and another end pivotably attached to said rotatable element for movement therewith.

10. A registration means as in claim 8, wherein said roller element is moveable upwardly for alignment engagement with said machine, and moveable downwardly for disengagement with said machine.

11. A registration means as in claim 9, wherein said free end of said plunger rod is flat and has an inwardly directed side which is tapered and an opposing inwardly directed side which is flat to facilitate aligning registration engagement with said machine, in a camming action.

UNITED STA'lES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 289 Q Dated April l8 1972 Inventor( James K. Merck It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the face page, Attorney-Donald H. Feldman" should read Agent-Donald H. Feldman Col 5, line 73, "say be" should read I say by Col. 6, line '17, "10' and which below plate shaft 76 60" should read l0 and which shaft 76 below plate 60 and Col. 7, line 52, '"by a" should read by the I Signed and sealed this 22day of August 1972 (SEAL) Attestr EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. 'RQ'BERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-105O (10-69) uscoMM-oc scan-ps9 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRlNTiNGDFFlCi-I: I909 0-365-334 

1. A registration means borne by a mobile carriage of an automatic yarn piecing apparatus, for bringing and maintaining said apparatus in registration alignment with stations of a textile machine for yarn repair thereat, said means comprising control cam means, spaced from and unabuttable with said machine, for controlling the aligning engagement and disengagement of said apparatus with said machine, registration camming means for camming said apparatus into registration alignment with said stations, and resilient biasing and joining means, operatively associated with and for resiliently biasing said registration camming means to cam said apparatus into registration alignment with said stations and operatively associated with and for joining said control cam means to said registration camming means to effect control of the latter by the former.
 2. A registration means as in claim 1, wherein said resilient biasing and joining means includes a cam follower, a spring and a rotatable element joining said cam follower and spring.
 3. A registration means as in claim 2, wherein said control cam means provides a counterbias to said registration camming means against the bias of said spring.
 4. A registration means as in claim 3, wherein control cam means provides said counterbias by abutment of a cam surface thereof against said cam follower of the resilient biasing and joining means.
 5. A registration means as in claim 4, wherein the degree of counterbias provided is dictated by the radial distance of the portion of said cam surface in abutment.
 6. A registration means as in claim 5, wherein said cam surface has a plurality of portions with different radial distances to provide a plurality of counterbiases, whereby at least one of said counterbiases is effective to control the disengagement of said apparatus with said machine.
 7. A registration means as in claim 6, wherein at least one of said cam surface portions has a radial distance effective to control the camming of said registration camming means in the aligning engagement of said apparatus with said machine.
 8. A registration means as in claim 2, wherein said registration camming means comprises a cam folloWer lever arm having a roller element at a free end thereof for aligning engagement with said machine and being fixed at its other end to said rotatable element for rotation therewith.
 9. A registration means as in claim 2, wherein said registration camming means comprises a plunger rod mounted for substantially translatory movement toward and away from said machine with a free end for engagement therewith and another end pivotably attached to said rotatable element for movement therewith.
 10. A registration means as in claim 8, wherein said roller element is moveable upwardly for alignment engagement with said machine, and moveable downwardly for disengagement with said machine.
 11. A registration means as in claim 9, wherein said free end of said plunger rod is flat and has an inwardly directed side which is tapered and an opposing inwardly directed side which is flat to facilitate aligning registration engagement with said machine, in a camming action. 